Rising mortgage rates announced Monday signal the end of historically low home borrowing costs and present Canadian consumers with a dilemma: either stay flexible, hope for the best and ride out the next several months or lock in to long-term loans. Three big banks raised their mortgage rates by more than half a point, effective Tuesday, and most industry watchers expect that's just the beginning of future small jumps that will hike the the cost of home ownership the rest of this year. For co ... Full Article...

Spring cleaning will help when house goes on the market Jean Patteson, McClatchy News Service Want to sell your home? Get out the bucket, mop and Mr. Clean. If your house isn't clean, it instantly sends up negative thoughts that the home is not well maintained. If your house is spotless, you're ahead of the game. "Get it clean, clean, clean," said Rinomato. "If your house isn't clean, it instantly sends up negative thoughts that the home is not well maintained. If your house is spotless, you're ... Full Article...

Tara PerkinsFrom Tuesday's Globe and Mail Published on Monday, Mar. 29, 2010 9:16PM EDT Canadian banks delivered the first clear sign that the era of rock-bottom interest rates is over by suddenly hiking mortgage rates, a move that will cost Canadians more to finance home purchases and likely hasten an expected slowdown of the red-hot housing sector. Surging home sales and prices were already expected to cool in the second half of this year as more listings hit the market and the Harmonized ... Full Article...

Published by Cody Stuart – CREN MagazineMarch 25, 2010 When it comes to the world of designer home fashion, saving money isn’t likely the first thought that enters most people’s minds. With the cost of a simple kitchen chair running into the thousands at some of the city’s furniture boutiques, having a set of furnishings that is as pleasing to the eye as it is to the wallet might appear like an unrealistic expectation.Lucky then for the discerning homeowner that DIY chic ... Full Article...

David Parker, Calgary HeraldPublished: Saturday, March 20, 2010 Vacations are supposed to be a getaway from work. But like many others, I find it hard to stop comparing Calgary to other cities I visit. I'm just back from a weeklong trip to Maui -- a great escape from the snow that still covered my lawn the day we left. There are some wonderful homes on Maui -- including several owned by Calgarians -- but the uniqueness of The Rainbow House at Ka'anapali Coffee Farms is the 3,600-square-foot liv ... Full Article...

Canadian Mortgage Trends.com March 10, 2010 On April 19 our government will lay down three major rule changes to “prevent” a housing-price bubble and keep homeowners from getting “overextended.” Here is the official announcement from today: Finance Department release These new rules apply to government-backed insured mortgages only. The Good:  5-Year Fixed Qualification Rates The New Rule:  Borrowers will need to qualify using a 5-year fixed rate regardless of what term ... Full Article...

By Ka Yan Ng Reuters – March 8, 2010 Canadian housing starts rose a better than expected 6.1 percent in February, reinforcing views that the residential housing sector is a key lever pulling the economy out of recession. Starts on new homes rose to a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 196,700 units in February from a downwardly revised 185,400 units in January, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. said on Monday. The number of starts in February surpassed the consensus expectation ... Full Article...

Tue Mar 2, 2010 Reuters By Louise Egan OTTAWA (Reuters) - The Bank of Canada held its key interest rate at a record low on Tuesday, but signaled it is getting closer to raising rates, though promising again not to do so before the third quarter. The central bank reiterated the commitment it made in April 2008 to keep its target overnight rate at a record low 0.25 percent until the end of the second quarter, conditional on inflation staying on track. In its policy statement, however, it ... Full Article...

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. is forecasting increases in both the new home and resale housing markets this year and next year in Calgary and in Alberta. In releasings its updated market forecast today, CMHC said the Calgary census metropolitan area will see total housing starts rise by 20.3 per cent this year to 7,600 units followed by a 21.1 per cent hike in 2011 to 9,200 units. BY MARIO TONEGUZZI, CALGARY HERALD MLS sales in the Calgary area are expected to climb by 10.9 per cent to 27 ... Full Article...